QuoteThey had settled a little before that.
Now... can we have some 2010 please.
This delay might help Tipp settle. Nasty one for the ref there.
They had settled a little before that.
Now... can we have some 2010 please.
Looking like KKs now. Tipp not really at the races anymore.
Some goal there for richie hogan.
Yeah, best goal in a final for a while I'd say. Kilkenny ain't in any mood to let them back into it.
Although . . . 4-point game with 15 to go . . .
Great response from Tipp. Lar is some player.
Ref having a cracking game.
4 points and 8 minutes...
Great last 15. KK had it won after 20min.
Kilkenny's experience probably got them over the line at the end. Credit to Tipp for managing to stay in it though.
Shows how good this Tipp team are considering they weren't at the races and still were within 2 scores against the greatest team in history.
Big day is approaching fast, very excited here in Chez Kingdom, but that will surely turn to nervous excitement tomorrow, and then horrible, horrible stomach churning nerves on Sat.
I've read a few pieces last weekend and the past couple of days, all with the same thing...match too close to decide, Dubs energy, hunger etc to carry them through. I'm not buying it though. The papers (or the ones I've read) have only focussed on Kerry's weaknesses from this season, and Dublin's weakness from other seasons. Sure Kealy os dodgy under the high ball, but he's stopped trying to catch, and has resorted to fisting the ball if challenging in the air. Yes Kerry's defence is old, and they have conceded goal chances, but they have played consistently well throughout the league and throughout the championship. i've heard mention that they had an easy run to the final, I don't think that's fair either - they beat the holders to continue through the front door, and besides, the championship as a whole has been poor this year.
Dublin's failings against Wexford and against Donegal seem to be ignored more or less. Wexford essentially played keepball with Dublin for 35 mins, and the Dubs were clueless. That's not meant to be insulting - they genuinely didn't know how to counter-act it. Only for a really bad stroke of misfortune, Wexford would have closed the game out. The same happened against Donegal - Donegal kept ball going left, right, back, forward and generally taking Dublin for a walk. Karl Lacey getting injured was the turning point, as Donegal lost their leader. Plus, Dublin didn't exactly play expansive football that day either.
So I think it will be interesting to see how O'Connor sets Kerry up. Everyone is expecting Kerry to blitz Dublin (or to try) in the opening quarter. I'm not so sure myself. A pulsating opening half would not be in Kerry's interests, and it's one of the reasons perhaps that Walsh starts ahead of Galvin. Walsh will wander all across the field showing for ball, laying off, tracking back, and generally wearing down his marker - Kevin Flynn in this case - before Galvin comes on and gets involved when the game is in the melting pot. Another thing would be in the games where they were under a bit of pressure, Dublin's long range scoring ability was questionable. I wouldn't be surprised to see Kerry dropping deep with the forwards going into 3 banks of 2 (Walsh & DAr Sull)(O'Leary & Dec Sull)(Gooch and Donaghy) in an effort to crowd from Dublins 50m line outwards and then break from deep.
A lot of people seem to be saying that the game will be won and lost in the Dublin full-forward line - I'd tend to disagree with that (ok if the ff line score 3-6 between them it's pretty conclusive) but it will be in the two half-back lines and specifically Dublin's where the game will be won or lost. Darren O'Sullivan has overshadowed Declan so far this year, and Declan wasn't great against Mayo, but he is a serious threat if he can see enough of the ball (he's a great bet @ 14/1 for 1st goal). Kerry will get plenty of ball into the two of them, and I'm not sure Brennan or McCarthy are good enough to contain the pair. A clubmate of McCarthy's I work with feels McCarthy is the weak link in defence.
In Dublin's hf line, they will probably go with Barry Cahill again (a defender) and Bryan Cullen (a jack of all trades), Cahill probably dropping back to sweep, thus allowing Tomas O'Se freedom to roam, and Cullen also dropping back, allowing Eoin Brosnan to roam.
Can't wait now. prediction time, Kerry by more than two scores. A Kerry captain wearing #13 has never lifted Sam. If ever a player deserved to break that it's Cooper. Hope ye all get tickets.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
Kerry will win. But the rest of the country (bar M*ath) will wish they didn't.
There's no way O'Sé will be left to his own devices. Dublin will have someone marking him rather than vice versa.Originally Posted by Kingdom
2 tickets landed today. My word they are beautiful.
In my heart of hearts I can't see Dublin winning, it would be great, a realy boost to the sport and GAA, though I think experience will just beat them. I can't wait, I'm goin straight from training to a pub to watch it, just wishing I were home and able to enjoy proper commentary.
Who? Cullen? Alan Brogan? Paul Flynn?
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
I see Kingdom has conveniently ignored the Dublin Tyrone game where the Dubs played refreshingly good football. I'd say that performance is closer to what we can expect from them against Kerry. I don't know if it will be good enough but they have every chance. I don't know where the talk of a Kerry blitz in the first quarter is coming from, afair in a few of their games against more modest opposition, it took until the 2nd half for the cow dung to fall of their boots.
Anyway, despite a thick layer of Kerry blood in me I'm strictly neutral but have a softish spot for the Dubs and their persistent optimistic attempts to get a winning team out of their 1.3m population.
i wish i could say i was confident going into this. ye just never know which dublin team will turn up . if we can reach the level of performance from the tyrone match kerry could be in for a shock. we certainly won't get over run and the game be over as a contest after 20 mins like it was a couple of years ago. the winning of the game will be in our half forwrd line i reckon. catser and cullen might be defenders by trade but they're also talented footballers, i reckon kev mc will be in sooner rather than later especially with flynn carrying a knock.
anyone pay crazy money for a ticket?
May the best team win. And may the best team be Dublin.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
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